Human

Action speaks volumes. It's a nice resources link. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.awea.org/projects/

With McCain everyone already knows. He WILL work across the aisle With the Democrats and Republicans in a truly bi-partisan manner. <~~~~~~~~ his record has already shown that. To be blunt; What Governor Sarah Palin really will do is to help McCain Clean up the Congress, and the Senate "though both houses are not really going to be enjoying it", and she will learn about foreign affairs real fast. With Barack Obama considering that he is a Virgin when it comes to National, as well as International Experience there really is nothing more to type on him. He owes everyone. Barack is more tied in with special interest groups than any other candidate "Past, and Present". <Ya know it’s funny, with Barack it WILL be politics as usual, and with McCain we will have to work with each other "He won’t leave us any other choice". McCain didn't get the title of Maverick for kicks. Oh!! and wait till you see the next link of the month, it will be highly informative for all of you. For me? Not really. All I want to do now is just stay where I am in my political world, and survive this town. What the Heck!!! no games. Hey!!!! at least by the time I leave for my own political world? All of you will be better informed “I hope". Even to the ones who dislike me on this message board. I hope you come out a little bit better informed "Maybe not wiser, but there is that hope thingy left, ya know"?> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For me, It's The International Community, and OUR Long Term Interests that I am concerned with. What the democrats HAVE DONE in terms of the Middle East “and there has to be a distinction here between our allies, and our enemies so all of you can follow this" is to make the case for Nuclear Power with in the region. Which HAS already caused another Nuclear Arms Race, and I can sadly promise you that I'm seeing the beginning of the same in Latin America. The DEMOCRATS think that they can put the genie back into the bottle on this, but That's not how the world works.

The practical applications. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.smalltimes.com/news/display_new...p;NewsID=166613 Chemistry professor receives Medal of Science for nanotech research The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (September 2, 2008) ATLANTA: Tech prof wins prestigious prize A Georgia Tech chemistry professor is getting the nation's highest science honor for his work in nanotechnology. Mostafa El-Sayed will receive the National Medal of Science during a ceremony at the White House on Sept. 29. El-Sayed is being honored for his research on the electronic and optical properties of nano-materials. He is working with his son Ivan, a San Francisco doctor, to develop special nanorods that bind to cancer cells and make them easier to detect so lasers can destroy them without harming healthy cells. University System of Georgia officials said El-Sayed is only the second Georgian to receive the honor.

http://www.securityfocus.com/

Latest info. To be honest, I was just sitting on this info waiting to see if anyone else would catch on as to what's out there. It's fun being old net. You really never do get bored with what's out there on the net. <For the self sufficient house, I'm trying to get the guy who built it to partner up with several construction companies around here. I did get his e-mail address, and more. It can't be done with houses already built though "Just to let all of you know".> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10026958-54.html A New Jersey company said on Tuesday it will invest $20 million over three years to develop an underground compressed-air storage system for wind turbines and other power sources, a sign of growing confidence in the technology. Energy Storage and Power is a joint ventured formed by energy developer PSEG Global and Michael Nakhamkin, who designed the only compressed air-storage facility in the U.S. With Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES), air is pumped into underground formations, such as depleted natural gas wells or salt caverns, using a natural gas-powered machine. The pressured air is released later to drive a turbine to make electricity. The system allows for several hours or even days of stored energy, which allows power producers to deliver electricity during peak hours when the demand for electricity--and price--is highest. The two CAES plants in operation right now--one in McIntosh, Ala., and the other in Huntorf, Germany--use several hours of storage to generate electricity during the middle of the day. Energy Storage and Power said that it intends to develop equipment for storing renewable power resources at a large scale. Utilities are already using more wind and solar, but energy storage means that they can be used more broadly since electricity can be "dispatched" as needed. "We have learned a lot since building the McIntosh plant in Alabama, and I believe the time is right technically, environmentally, and economically for a large-scale deployment of Energy Storage and Power's CAES technology," Nakhamkin said in a statement. It's not the only commercial company pursuing compressed-air storage of wind energy. General Compression is designing a wind turbine that has a compressor built into the nacelle, the housing at the top of a wind turbine tower. The company hopes to test a machine with utilities in the next few years. With the growing use of renewable energy on the power grid and a push toward energy efficiency, energy storage is getting serious attention from investors and utilities. Lithium-ion battery company A123 is working with utility AES on grid-tied energy storage devices. These 1- or 2-megawatt devices can be used to stabilize the grid's frequency and store enough power for less than an hour. One advantage of CAES technology is that it can be used for longer periods. The Iowa Stored Energy Park plans to use a natural gas compressor in conjunction with a wind farm that it expects to go online in 2011.

One of the problems with the trade talks is that Brazil has opted to wait till 2012 for a better negotiation position. Each country has it's own specfic targets. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=08...cle=1&cat=0 Aug 25 03:06 AM US/Eastern Indonesia has called on Brazil, China and India to help revive the stalled Doha Round of trade talks at a meeting in September, a spokesman for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Monday. Yudhoyono has contacted President Lula da Silva of Brazil, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to underline his concern at the failure of the ministerial-level World Trade Organization talks in July. "In these three communications ... the president expressed his concern at the latest developments in the Doha Round," spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said. "He called on these leaders not to give up and to push for discussions to begin again, the president hopes in September. "The president is very concerned about this issue because if discussions fail, the effects on the world economy and developing nations, for Indonesia, will be bad." It was not clear what form of meeting Yudhoyono was proposing or where, but Washington has also said it supports holding talks with a small number of countries in September to explore ways to restart the world trade talks. US trade negotiator Susan Schwab said ahead of talks last week with WTO chief Pascal Lamy that the meeting could "clear the way, conceivably, for another round of ministerial engagement." The US trade negotiator suggested talks could start among a "small group" of senior officials from "those countries in leadership roles." The Geneva ministerial meeting ran aground after India and the US failed to agree over a special safeguard mechanism that would allow nations to impose a special tariff on agricultural goods if imports surge or prices fall. Washington rejected Indian proposals that developing nations should be allowed to boost duties by an additional 25 percent on farm products if imports surged by 15 percent. Washington insisted extra duties should be allowed only if imports rose by 40 percent. Brazil has also been pushing to revive the talks and India has said it would like to return to the negotiating table if the United States signals that the impasse can be overcome.

Obama, and the democrats are going to have a tough time. Obama has promised the moon, and he CAN'T deliver. McCain does not dance to bush. Over all Good choice by McCain. Obama, and Biden still have to answer for their interference in foreign policy matters. Chavez is just but one of what the democrats HAVE TO ANSWER FOR. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even though the presidential elections over shadows stories like this, it does bring up a very serious security issue as to how will Countries in the future deal with tech based space attacks? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/art...irus-Earth.html Last updated at 9:58 AM on 28th August 2008 A computer virus has made the leap from Earth to outer space after hitching a ride on an astronaut's laptop. The worm known as Gammima.AG was carried on board the International Space Station in July, according to NASA. It works by stealing passwords and login names for popular online games, then sends them back to a central server. However, NASA were quick to point out that the malicious program did not put any essential systems of the ISS at risk and described it as a mere 'nuisance'. The virus had infected laptops used to run nutritional programs and let the astronauts send e-mails back to Earth. The space agency is now working to track down the culprit for the embarassing error. They believe it may have infected the laptop via a flash or USB drive owned by an astronaut. The virus travelled 215 miles to the research facility which is in a low Earth orbit and surprisingly was not a one-off event. 'It's not a frequent occurrence, but this isn't the first time,' Nasa spokesman Kelly Humphries admitted.

Renewables' are all very well and good, but we still need oil folks. I hope that this time the General Public got the message. Because Iran and the democrats choice "Venezuela" WANT to cut oil production to keep prices high. Time will tell. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.investmentu.net/ppc/t4oilcrude3.cfm?kw=X300J423 Profit from the Oil Reserve 8 Times Bigger Than Saudi Arabia's Some optimists believe the spike in oil prices we've seen over the last three years is merely temporary. T. Boone Pickens isn't one of them. The long-time oilman and current chairman of BP Capital Management was recently asked in a 60 Minutes interview when he thought we'd see $1.50 a gallon at the pump again. "We won't ever see $1.50 a gallon again," said Pickens. "No, that's gone." It's tough to disagree. On the demand side, citizens of the wealthy West aren't using any less oil, nor are the up-and-coming Tigers of the East. On the supply side, just look at many of the world's biggest exporters: Iran, Nigeria, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, and Russia. It's a virtual rogues' gallery, filled with nations that represent tyranny, corruption or instability. Fortunately, the world's single-largest oil deposit sits right here in North America. Time magazine calls it "Canada's biggest buried treasure." It's an area with up to 2.5 trillion barrels of oil, locked in Alberta sand. That's eight times the total reserves of Saudi Arabia, enough to satisfy the world's demand for petroleum for the next century. This is easily the world's most exciting energy story. And one publicly traded company is supremely positioned to earn billions from this region in the months ahead...

Now Senator Joe Biden; here is a question I have for you, and to the News Reporters out there. It would be most enlightening if you were to ask the Senator this question; When Did you know? Or would you "Senator Joe Biden head of the Foreign Relations Committee" prefer to claim ignorance?

Keep Jimmy Carter Muzzled. Now Barack, would you like to take back what you said, or do you stand by your serious lack of understanding as to what's going on in Latin America? It's a democrat who served Gore who agrees with my group "The Republicans". <Remember what I said in my past posts about this people? Keep that In mind, for what I have told you about Latin America and how the democrats’ interference with in the region has put ALL of us at risk. Just because the democrats wanted power back no matter what. What I have shown you is REAL. This IS how real politics is. Even though the democrats treat it is as a game, IT'S NO GAME. The democrat have used your ignorance "The General Public" on the subject of Latin America as a weapon for what they wanted most "POWER". NOW DO YOU BELIEVE????> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/...v8.412a310.html Lawrence J. Haas: In Latin America: Obama should shun Carter, follow Bush’s lead 01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, August 21, 2008 LAWRENCE J. HAAS WASHINGTON FOREIGN POLICY in the U.S. is about more than confronting immediate dangers. It’s also about promoting American values of freedom, democracy and human rights over the long term because we believe those values create the path for more peace and prosperity — not just at home but around the world. Though freedom and democracy have spread to more nations than ever in recent decades, further progress is not guaranteed. From Russia to China and throughout the Greater Mideast, authoritarian regimes are digging in, determined to resist efforts to topple their iron rule. The clash between democratic and authoritarian models is particularly intense in Latin America, where U.S. allies are facing a small cabal of populist leaders, led by Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez. These modern caudillos are seeking to turn back the clock on regional democratic progress — promoting greater state control of the economy and less respect for human rights. With the lines drawn starkly, President Bush has gotten it mostly right in our own hemisphere. He has sought to build stronger ties with our friends, notably Colombia, and to contain the ambitions of our adversaries. Rather than shift course, the next president and Congress should reinforce those efforts. Bush has strongly supported Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who has worked hard to bring stability and prosperity to his once-troubled land while stepping up the fight against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the terror group that’s better known as FARC. The results have been dramatic. Economic growth and living standards are way up, while drug trafficking, kidnappings and murders of labor leaders are way down. Bogota is applying the rule of law to a once-lawless land, prosecuting murderers and protecting human rights. Colombia’s recent rescue of former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and more than a dozen others merely highlighted what was already clear — Uribe has FARC on the run. Half of its leadership is dead, and its ranks have shrunk from more than 25,000 to fewer than 8,000. FARC has been supported — financially and otherwise — by Chavez, who promotes anti-Americanism, works with like-minded leaders in Bolivia and Ecuador, boasts of his growing ties to the terror-sponsoring and nuclear weapons-seeking Iranian regime, and threatens to use his oil as a weapon against the United States. Colombia’s gain is our gain — it shows hundreds of millions of people south of our border that freedom, democracy and the rule of law help improve living standards. FARC’s loss is our gain as well — it weakens Chavez while showing that a free society can break the back of a terrorist threat. Thus, the United States has no reason to change course in Latin America. Quite the contrary, we should strengthen our ties to Bogota, and strengthen Uribe at home, by enacting the long-delayed U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, which Democratic congressional leaders have blocked largely because of the opposition of organized labor. If Barack Obama wins the presidency, foreign leaders and populations the world over will quickly look for clues as to whether this young, charismatic, but inexperienced and untested leader will stick by America’s friends while remaining steadfast against its enemies. In the late 1970s, an equally inexperienced new president chose a different route. President Carter played down the Soviet threat, abandoned our allies in Iran and Nicaragua, and sought warm ties to new regimes with a particularly virulent anti-American bent. The results were disastrous. The Soviet Union and Cuba stoked Third World revolution across Africa, the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, and Iranian students seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran and held our diplomats hostage for 444 days. Through it all, the United States looked weak and uncertain. We need not repeat that history. A President Obama would be wise not to abandon a policy that’s bearing fruit. Lawrence J. Haas, former communications director to Vice President Al Gore, is vice president of the Committee on the Present Danger, an anti-terrorism group based in Washington

Every little bit helps. Conserve here, drill there, it all adds up. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10008255-54.html August 6, 2008 6:29 AM PDT Edison: Free energy-saving PC software Posted by Martin LaMonica Although power management software has been around for years, there's clearly room for improvement, particularly with rising energy prices and environmental awareness. Start-up Verdiem on Wednesday released software called Edison "http://www.verdiem.com/edison/ " that makes it easy for people to schedule when a PC goes into a low power consumption mode at home or at work. Verdiem's CEO, Kevin Klustner, is scheduled to highlight Edison and PC energy consumption during a conference call with Microsoft's chief environmental strategist, Robert Benard, and Intel's Lorie Wigle, president of the Climate Savers computing industry consortium. PCs can consume as much as 10 percent of a home's energy bill and give off as much carbon dioxide as a family car. Even when a PC's screen saver kicks on, the machine can still consume between 100 watts and 250 watts. The Edison software doesn't completely shut a computer off but rather moves it to a "suspend" state, which uses less energy. Users can also schedule to shut down the screen and hard drive before going into suspend mode. The tool lets users have work and home settings. It has a read-out of how much electricity you are saving, also translated into reductions in carbon dioxide emissions and dollar savings. Estimates will vary widely, depending on electricity rates and type of computer, but Verdiem says the average savings is 410 kilowatt hours a year, or $36.50. Verdiem, which is bankrolled in part by venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, was founded by people who were looking for better power management software than what's built into Windows. But developing the free Edison software isn't entirely altruistic. The sign-up process promotes Verdiem's power management software for businesses, called Surveyor, which the company says can pay for itself within a few years. The license for Edison is for one person. It runs on Windows XP or Windows Vista.

I usually don't give advice to a democrat running for President of the United States, but on the off chance you do become President? For Gods Sakes don't talk about Latin America, because the more you open your mouth about it, the more naive you sound. Leave it to your cronies. Even though we are of different parties, my loyalty is to the Flag, and to the United States long Term Interests. < Now as a Republican, Oh please!!!! keep on talking about Latin America. Look!!!! I will even say "PRETTY PLEASE TALK MORE ABOUT LATIN AMERICA.>

It was your group "The Democrats" who was fostering anti-American sentiment against the United States. YOU HAVE NO CLUE AS TO WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT Barack Obama. At least try to get the facts before you EVEN open your mouth up on this one. Trying to re-write history; same old democrat political game. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles...red_chvez_rise/ Obama: Bush fostered Chávez rise 'Negligent' foreign policy created void By Sasha Issenberg Globe Staff / May 24, 2008 MIAMI - Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama yesterday accused President Bush of complicity in the rise of his most fervent nemesis in Latin America through what Obama called a "negligent" US foreign policy that has created a void for anti-American leaders to extend their reach in the region. more stories like this"No wonder, then, that demagogues like Hugo Chávez have stepped into this vacuum," Obama said yesterday, referring to Venezuela's autocratic president who called Bush "the devil" during a United Nations speech and who has become a villain among American conservatives. "The United States is so alienated from the rest of the Americas that this stale vision has gone unchallenged, and has even made inroads from Bolivia to Nicaragua," he said. Obama made the charge before a luncheon at a Miami hotel hosted by the Cuban-American National Foundation, a nonpartisan group that has for decades held a hard line against easing relations between the United States and Cuba and found itself typically allied with Republicans. "To be a Democrat meant that you were labeled a communist, and this organization was as reactionary as it gets," said Augusto Lopez, a Cuban-American lawyer supporting Obama. "To host Obama today reflects the sea change in Cuban-American politics down here." Obama used the venue to reiterate his call to ease federal restrictions on remittances and travel by Cuban-Americans to the island, a position that Jorge Mas Santos, the CANF chairman, endorsed in his introductory remarks. Obama also delivered a bolder call for "direct diplomacy" with dictator Raúl Castro, a policy that John McCain dismissed as naïve and counterproductive in a speech before a different Cuban-American gathering here days earlier. "I believe we should give hope to the Cuban people, not to the Castro regime," McCain said on Tuesday. Though Cuban-Americans as a constituency tend to vote Republican, Obama addressed a largely friendly crowd. Still, his audience exhibited a common skepticism of Democratic candidates who have preached a new approach toward Cuba. "He's a communist," Osmaira Lopez, a 78-year-old cosmetologist who came to Miami from Cuba 47 years ago, said of Obama. "You know he says 'Change'? What does he want to change?" Obama presented his Cuba policy as part of a vision for broader security and economic engagement between the United States and other countries in the Western hemisphere. Bush's reliance on "tired blueprints on drugs and trade, on democracy and development," Obama said, had allowed not only leaders like Chávez to rise but inadvertently helped Asian and European political and business interests expand their influence in Latin America. "We are failing to join the battle for hearts and minds," he said. Obama's campaign said his speech was in stark contrast with McCain's, delivered just miles away - a "box-checking exercise that touched on very few issues in a very vital part of the world," according to foreign policy adviser Denis McDonough. "People want to hear something other than the traditional 'Next year in Cuba' without any way of achieving it," said Stephen Zack, a Miami lawyer who has been involved in Democratic causes but said he is not supporting a presidential candidate. "They want to know, 'How are you going to do that?' rather than just give lip service to the concerns everyone in this room has." In a statement released yesterday, McCain's campaign criticized Obama for what they called "political expediency" and scolded him for "reckless judgment" exhibited in his speech. "Senator Obama's promises of unilateral concessions to Cuba's dictators even in advance of an unconditional summit meeting with Raúl Castro is exactly the wrong approach to free the people of Cuba," according to McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds. While exit polls have shown Obama has struggled to connect with Latino voters during the primaries, some in attendance said the changing demographics of Miami's Cuban community - typically among the most conservative voting blocs in American politics - could offer him a warmer welcome than past Democratic nominees have received here. "As time goes on, and the younger generation of Cuban-Americans comes into power, we become more open to change and new ideas," said Marlene Quintana, president of the Cuban-American Bar Association. "What there isn't anymore is a taboo about being Cuban-American and being a Democrat."

Now this worries me cause I take 1.5mgs of folic acid a day. Never a dull moment. lol ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...eandHealth/home LESLIE BECK From Wednesday's Globe and Mail Read Bio | Latest Columns August 20, 2008 at 9:55 AM EDT If you take vitamin B supplements to guard against heart disease you are wasting your money, research published in today's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests. A clinical trial involving 3,096 patients with established heart disease revealed the vitamins were ineffective against heart attack, death from heart disease and stroke. The notion that B vitamins ward off heart disease stems from the fact that three B vitamins - folic acid, B6 and B12 - lower blood homocysteine, an amino acid made by the body during normal metabolism. High homocysteine is thought to damage the lining of the arteries. Studies have demonstrated the ability of homocysteine to cause oxidative stress and inflammation, as well as to impair blood clotting and blood vessel function. The level of homocysteine in your bloodstream is influenced by diet and genetics. Folic acid, B6 and B12 break down homocysteine and prevent it from accumulating in the bloodstream. Numerous studies have shown that taking folic acid supplements, either alone or in combination with B6 and B12, lowers homocysteine levels. In today's study, researchers from Norway set out to determine whether lowering homocysteine could prevent further heart attacks and heart problems in people with coronary heart disease. Patients were assigned to receive a daily supplement of either folic acid plus vitamins B6 and B12; folic acid plus vitamin B12; vitamin B6 alone; or a placebo. The doses of vitamins used were 0.8 milligrams of folic acid, 0.4 milligrams of B12 and 40 milligrams of B6. Patients were monitored to determine the rates of all-cause death, stroke, heart attack and hospitalization for unstable angina among the four groups. (Unstable angina is severe chest pain that occurs when the heart becomes starved for oxygen.) After three years of follow-up, none of the B vitamin combinations lowered the risk of heart attack, stroke or death despite an overall 30-per-cent reduction in blood homocysteine levels. This isn't the first time the value of B vitamins for preventing or delaying heart problems has been challenged. Earlier this year, the women's antioxidant and folic acid cardiovascular study, a randomized controlled trial involving 5,442 women at high risk for heart disease, found that B vitamins did not lower the risk of cardiovascular events (such as heart attack, stroke and coronary artery bypass surgery) even though the women's homocysteine levels dropped significantly. The findings suggest that lowering homocysteine does not change the course of heart disease. Instead, elevated homocysteine may signal an increased risk of problems in people who already have heart disease. The effect of long-term folic acid supplementation on the risk of heart disease in healthy people is unknown. It is possible, however, that B vitamins help prevent stroke. In the study, there was a lower risk of suffering a stroke among B vitamin users, but this finding was not statistically significant, which means it could have been a chance finding. There is other evidence that folic acid guards against stroke. The mandatory addition of folic acid to certain foods (white flour, enriched pasta, enriched corn meal), implemented in Canada and the United States in 1998, has been linked with a pronounced decline in death from stroke in both countries. Fortification of food with folic acid was introduced to reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects in infants (when the brain and spinal cord fail to close properly during the early weeks of pregnancy.) Since it began, the rate of these defects has dropped 46 per cent in Canada. There are concerns that large doses of folic acid could do more harm than good. Last year, a trial of 1,021 men and women who had had precancerous polyps removed from the colon found that those who took a folic acid supplement (one milligram) got just as many new polyps as those who took placebo pills. People in the folic acid group also had higher rates of advanced tumours, although this finding was not statistically significant. In today's study, the risk of cancer was slightly higher in the group receiving folic acid, but again it was not statistically significant. Together, these findings raise the possibility folic acid may prevent early stages of cancer but could enhance the growth of established cancer cells. For this reason, if you have a history of colon cancer, or precancerous colon polyps, avoid taking high-dose folic acid supplements. While there's little evidence to warrant taking folic acid to protect from heart disease, it is important to increase your intake of folate from foods to help meet your recommended daily intake. (Folate refers to the B vitamin found naturally in foods; folic acid is the synthetic version added to vitamin pills and fortified foods.). Folate is needed to make DNA and red blood cells, support cell division and growth, and prevent neural tube defects. Women of childbearing age should take a multivitamin with folic acid. Adults and teenagers need 400 micrograms (0.4 mg) of folate each day. The recommended intake for children aged 1 to 3 is 150 micrograms; from 4 to 8 years, 200 micrograms; and 9 to 13 years, 300 micrograms. Good food sources include legumes, Brussels sprouts, cooked spinach, asparagus, artichokes, avocados, orange juice and enriched pasta. The safe upper limit for supplemental folic acid is 1,000 micrograms (one milligram) a day, unless directed otherwise by your physician. Taking high doses of folic acid can sometimes mask the presence of a vitamin B12 deficiency. If this condition isn't properly diagnosed, it may lead to irreversible nerve damage. Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based dietitian at the Medcan Clinic,

Russia Looking to Send a Navy Fleet to Caribbean, Chavez Says To The Democrats; Next time you decide to support some one like Chavez "Just to make this Administration look bad" Do Every American a favor and don't. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...r=latin_america By Daniel Cancel Aug. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Russia has expressed interest in sending a naval fleet to the Caribbean. He said Venezuela would welcome the visit. The naval fleet would come to Caribbean waters on a trip of ``friendship and work,'' Chavez said in comments on state television. Venezuela has bought Sukhoi fighter jets from Russia and is evaluating the purchase of submarines, Chavez said. ``We've been informed that the Russian government wants to visit Venezuela,'' Chavez said. ``They want a Russian fleet to come to the Caribbean. If they come, they'll be welcomed.'' Venezuela has spent billions of dollars in modernizing its armed forces in recent years, purchasing arms mainly from Russia. The South American country has also criticized the U.S.'s reactivation of the Navy's Fourth Fleet to patrol the Caribbean on anti-narcotics missions. Chavez said he's interested in buying K-8 Chinese training jets after the U.S. stopped selling replacement parts for existing Venezuelan aircraft. He said he'll visit China in September.

I've seen what the employment agencies around here offer, and my jaw drops to the ground. <Thinking to myself, This is the best that you got?> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've seen what the employment agencies around here offer, and my jaw drops to the ground. <Thinking to myself, This is the best that you got?> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've seen that movie 4 times "I loved it". Merlin who had a magical break down teaching kids "Funny as sin". And the theme as I saw it was that; No matter Whether you are rich or poor? Kids ARE kids. <You really haven't lived life till you have had kids "No Bull".> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://soils.usda.gov/gallery/state_soils/

DC is gravy when it comes to jobs "Federal Galore". Northern Virginia full of tech jobs and many of the support services for the federal government "all the big boys', and girls' are around here". The problem that I've seen in this town is that the information is scattered all over the place.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.godanriver.com/gdr/news/local/a...1_billion/5621/ BY JEFF E. SCHAPIRO AND TYLER WHITLEY Media General News Service Published: August 13, 2008 Virginia’s cash crunch is going from bad to worse, possibly shorting the state budget another $1 billion and forcing more cuts in services and layoffs. Ahead of Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s much-anticipated revenue report to the General Assembly on Monday, lawmakers from both parties are predicting the shortfall for the current two-year, $77 billion budget could reach or surpass $1 billion. “That wouldn’t surprise me,” said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles J. Colgan, D-Prince William. “Yes—it could very well be that high,” said Sen. William C. Wampler Jr. of Bristol, the Finance Committee’s ranking Republican. Kaine—who, in tandem with legislators, this year pruned spending by more than $2 billion because of the continuing economic downturn—is saying little, for now, about the steps that he’ll take to balance the budget. “We’re going to be relatively well off compared to other states, but we’re going to suffer as the national economy has its challenges,” said Kaine, referring the collapse of the credit markets, rising housing foreclosures, and increasing energy costs. Kaine said he probably would apply the same basic principles to the next round of economies that he did previously—to not cut across the board but target more precisely areas that can be reduced. Some lawmakers and lobbyists aren’t sure that’s possible. . . . For Kaine, the accelerating erosion of the state’s finances comes at a politically perilous time: As a prospective vice-presidential running mate for Democrat Barack Obama, Kaine cannot risk being perceived—in Virginia, a swing state, and beyond—as indecisive on a potentially defining issue such as fiscal discipline. “He will probably propose what is in the best interests of his vice-presidential ambitions,” said Del. M. Kirkland Cox, R-Colonial Heights, chief Republican whip and a frequent Kaine critic. Kaine’s options for managing the latest gyrations of the budget likely will be shaped by his priorities. Since revenues began their retreat in spring 2007, Kaine and the legislature generally have sought to spare education, human services and law enforcement. But even Kaine’s allies say that may not be the case this go-around. Sen. R. Edward Houck of Spotsylvania, the No. 2 Democrat on the Finance Committee and chairman of the Senate Education and Health Committee, said that it “will be very difficult” to spare schools, colleges and health care. So far, layoffs have been few. Barely 70 state workers have lost their jobs, though dozens of other positions across the bureaucracy remain vacant as the Kaine administration looks to attrition to hold down payroll and benefit costs. Kaine also has clamped down on purchasing and travel. One-time fixes account for most of the savings, including $900 million in agency reductions, $300 million by recalculating state aid for local schools, and a cut of nearly $240 million in direct assistance to localities. The state freed up funds by drawing $350 million from the rainy-day fund—a constitutionally required cushion against fiscal emergencies—and by paying for $400 million in transportation and public-building construction with bonds rather than cash. About $1 billion remains in the “rainy-day fund.” . . . For counties and cities, economic decline hits them twice: first, through sagging locally generated revenues; then, by way of reductions in aid from Richmond. They expect Kaine’s report to the General Assembly money committees will have grim consequences for city councils and county boards of supervisors. “We expect, and are preparing for, very bad news,” said Michael L. Edwards, a lobbyist for the Virginia Association of Counties. “We’re not hurting real bad, but we are hurting,” said Del. Riley E. Ingram, R-Hopewell, a member of the House Appropriations Committee and chairman of the House Counties, Cities and Towns Committee. Ingram is seeing the downturn firsthand, as a real estate broker in the Hopewell area. A year ago, his firm was selling 26 to 30 homes a month; now it’s down to 14 to 16, he said. Ingram expects Kaine to outline the extent of the problem, then give the legislature a say in how to erase the shortfall—at least for the next few months. Initially, at least, Ingram expects there will be no employee layoffs but rather payroll reductions through attrition. Robert P. Vaughn, staff director of the House Appropriations Committee, predicted revenues will fall short of projections by $800 million to $1 billion for the next two years. Sales and payroll withholding taxes are particularly anemic, he said. Because the fiscal year is in its second month, Vaughn expects the impact of the spending cuts will not be felt until next year. State employees, thousands of whom live in the Richmond area, are “apprehensive” but have not received a heads-up about what to expect, said William P. Elwood, director of the Virginia Governmental Employees Association.

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Barack sends his kids to private schools, yet doesn't want to give the same opportunities to DC kids, or any other kids for that matter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.onenewsnow.com/Education/Default.aspx?id=154958 6/26/2008 11:35:00 AM A landmark education program that provides opportunity to hundreds of families in the nation's capital to attend private schools is being opposed by Democrats in Congress. Barack Obama told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in February that he was open to voucher programs, but just last week announced his intentions to squash the DC pilot program. "Barack Obama prefers private education for his daughters, but won't give DC parents the same opportunity," said Brian Burch, president of Fidelis, a Catholic-based political, legal, research and educational organization. "Vouchers are Change," he continued. "Rather than subjecting kids to rotting schools, vouchers have brought change to hundreds of families, who opted for private or parochial schools. If Barack Obama had fought for this program, it would be saved. But he refuses to help these low-income families. By supporting the teachers union, he sadly has become the Status Quo Candidate on education." Back in February, it looked like Obama would be willing to back the teachers union and support the voucher program. The Illinois senator told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: "If there was any argument for vouchers, it was 'Alright, let's see if this experiment works,' and if it does, then whatever my preconceptions, my attitude is you do what works for the kids," the senator said. "I will not allow my predispositions to stand in the way of making sure that our kids can learn. We're losing several generations of kids and something has to be done." But by June, the teachers lobby convinced Obama to work against the program. The senator told ABC News last week: "We don't have enough slots for every child to go into a parochial school or a private school. And what you would see is a huge drain of resources out of the public schools." Fidelis also said Republicans in Congress, including long-time voucher supporter Senator John McCain, deserve credit for placing parents and kids above the special interests of the teachers union. At a 2007 presidential primary debate, McCain said: "Choice and competition is the key to success in education in America. That means charter schools, that means home schooling, it means vouchers, it means rewarding good teachers and finding bad teachers another line of work." Burch concluded, saying, "Over the last eight years, we have seen some progress on education reform. John McCain has been a long-time advocate of education reform by providing alternatives to low-income families. Despite all the criticisms about Washington lobbyists and special interests, Barack Obama has sided with one of the most powerful special-interest groups in Washington, this time at the expense of the educational future of thousands of children."